330 plint's natural history. [Book XXXVT. 



plaisters." It is found in the vicinity of Thebes in Egypt and 

 of Damascus in Syria, that of Damascus being whiter than the 

 others. The most esteemed kind, however, is that of Car- 

 mania, the next being the produce of India, and then, those of 

 Syria and Asia. The worst in quality is that of Cappadocia, 

 it being utterly destitute of lustre. That which is of a honey 

 colour is the most esteemed, covered with spots curling in 

 whirls,®*^ and not transparent. Alabastrites is considered de- 

 fective, when it is of a white or horn colour, or approaching 

 to glass in appearance. 



CHAP. 13. LTGDINTJS; CORALLITIC STONE) STONE OF ALABANDA; 



STONE OF THEBAISJ STONE OF STENE. 



Little inferior to it for the preservation of unguents, in the 

 opinion of many, is the stone, called 'Mygdinus,"^ that is 

 found in Paros, and never of a larger size than to admit of a 

 dish or goblet being made of it. In former times, it was only 

 imported from Arabia, being remarkable for its extreme 

 whiteness. 



Great value is placed also upon two other kinds of stone, of 

 quite a contrary nature ; corallitic®' stone, found in Asia, in blocks 

 not more than two cubits in thickness, and of a white some- 

 what approaching that of ivory, and in some degree resembling 

 it ; and Alabandic stone, which, on the other hand, is black, 

 and is so called from the district^^ which produces it : though 



"^^ Plaster of Paris is made of gypsum or alabaster, heated and ground. 



^° A feature both of jasper and of sardonyx. 



^^ By some persons it has been considered to be the same with the " lych- 

 nitis," or white marble, mentioned in Chapter 4 of this Book. Ajassou 

 is of opinion that it has not been identified. 



^2 Ajasson is in doubt whether this stone was really a marble or a gypsic 

 alabaster. It received its name from the river Curalius or Coural, near 

 which it was found ; and it was also known as Sangaric marble. Ajasson 

 thinks that the ancient milk-white marble, still found in Italy, and known 

 to the dealers in antiquities as Palombino, may have been the " corallitic" 

 stone. He also mentions the fine white marble known as Grechetto. 



^•* See B. V. c. 29. Sulphuret of manganese is now known as Alaban- 

 dine ; it is black, but becomes of a tarnished brown on exposure to the 

 air. It is not improbable that this manganese was used for colouring 

 glass, and that in Chapter 66 of this Book Pliny again refers to manganese 

 when speaking of a kind of " magnet" or load-stone. See Beckraann, 

 Hist. Inv. Vol. II. pp. 237—8, BoJm's Edition; who thinks, that 

 in the present passage Pliny is speaking of a kind of marble. It is 

 the fact, however, that Pyrolusite,^ or grey ore of manganese, is used, at a 



